The Warrior and The Faery
by Ramblings of a K-pop Addict
Summary: Han-sung was tired of being treated like a child. He was a man and a warrior. He was a Hwarang. He just has to prove it. This is his story.
1. Prologue

Han-sung was beginning to regret his impulsive decision. His feet hurt, his stomach was growling, and he was being eaten alive by the mosquitoes. He should have listened to his hyungs. He wanted to go home. He wanted a nice hot bath and his nanny's home cooking. He wanted nothing more than to lie in the grass and watch the stars blinking in the sky.

Even as he wished for it he knew it was not to be. And he gave himself a mental slap for thinking about it. Hadn't he chosen this path? Hadn't he wanted to show his hyung and all the other Hwarang that he was a man in his own right? Okay so he wasn't good at swordsmanship or horseback riding or archery or pretty much anything that required physical strength. But he had his own talents and he was determined to use them to help his fellow warriors and prove he belonged among them.

With a renewed sense of determination Han-sung puffed out his chest and lengthened his stride. He would catch up to Sun-woo hyung and help him protect the Princess. And then maybe Dan-se hyung would stop treating him like a child.

 _*Author's Note: Ever since I watched Hwarang I thought they killed off Han-sung without fully exploring his potential. They could have shown how he transitioned from a sweet and innocent boy who didn't quite understand the seriousness of being a warrior to a man who was still sweet when the occasion called for it but was no longer innocent and who understood the cruelty that mankind can possess. Or they could have done something else. I just disliked the way the show started to bring out Han-sung's potential and then just killed him._


	2. Chapter 1

Han-sung peered out from his hiding spot. All was quiet in the plaza except for the occasional sound of patrolling troops. Han-sung kept his eyes trained on the shadows. As he had hoped Sun-woo and Ji-dwi came creeping out the shadows followed by the peasants captured by the Crown Prince of Baekje.

He had witnessed the fight between Sun-woo and the Crown Prince. He knew there was no way Sun-woo would leave the people of Silla captive. So Han-sung had hunkered down and waited for the perfect moment. Now his faith was paying off as he watched his hyungs guide the prisoners down the alleyway.

He wanted to step from the shadows and surprise Sun-woo hyung but he knew he wouldn't be welcomed. In fact they would treat him like a child and stick him with the Princess and Ah-ro noona. He turned and started to jog back along the path toward Silla. His plan was to act as a lookout and warn of any ambushes or if they were being followed. He had a gut feeling that the Crown Prince of Baekje was not planning on keeping his word.

Han-sung made sure to stick to the edge of forest. So far there was no sign of pursuit or of any lurking Baekje soldiers. He was hoping to reach the ravine long before the ragtag team behind him. That way he could guard the bridge.

The bridge wasn't much of a sight to behold. It was an aging bridge that stretched across the ravine connecting Silla and Baekje. It sagged precariously as the Yo-jeong River churned underneath. For as long as anyone could remember the Yo-jeong River had neatly divided Silla and Baekje with the bridge the only way for the two countries to trade with each other . To the north lay Goguryeo, a massive unfriendly country that was always threatening to swallow up the two smaller kingdoms. It was only the peace treaty between Silla and Baekje that prevented it from taking action.

To the south lay nothing but an enormous forest that no one dared enter; not even Goguryeo. There were whispers among the people that the forest was full of faeries; creatures with beauty so bewitching it was impossible to look away. It was said they slaughtered anyone who entered their territory without permission. It was rumored that Goguryeo had made a single attempt many centuries ago to conquer the land and had lost half it's army in the process.

Han-sung had always been terribly fascinated with the Yo-jeong Forest. As a child he would always go to the very edge of his family's property, stopping just a few steps shy of the Yo-jeong Forest. He would bring his paint brushes and paper and paint all day long facing the forest the entire time. He had always hoped he would catch a glimpse of a faery. He had even written a message on the back of one of his paintings and hung it from a tree in hopes that a faery would see it and come over and talk to him. The painting had disappeared overnight but he never knew if it was his parents who had taken it or his intended target.

Even as he stood guard by the bridge Han-sung looked south. It was an old habit that he hadn't kicked yet. The sun was beginning to rise. If Sun-woo hyung didn't hurry up daylight would soon take over and leave them as open targets for Baekje archers. _And that's if Baekje is even going to pursue them,_ Han-sung scolded himself.

Just as he caught sight of Sun-woo hyung and his misfit group he heard a sound coming from the woods behind him. Han-sung ducked behind a shrub. Careful not to rustle the leaves he peered around the shrub. All was still in the woods. He waited a few minutes. _Was it just my imagination?_ he wondered.

He heard the sound of leaves being crushed under a boot and zeroed on in the sound. At first he couldn't make anything out. Then he realized what he was staring at. It was a platoon of Baekje soldiers dressed in camouflage.

* _I apologize for not updating sooner. I've been so busy with work and going back to college. I will try my best to update regularly._


End file.
